(Tenements & Storefronts, Upper East Side: Manhattan- 1937 source)
1. Snow Stompers by Poof Slinky {View on Amazon}
Your kids will love stomping through the snow, leaving behind giant footprints. Easily attaches to shoes or boots!
2. Sno-Brick Maker by Poof Slinky {View on Amazon}
This mold makes snow “bricks” so kids can construct forts, igloos, walls, and castles!
3. Snowball Maker by Flexible Flyer {View on Amazon}
Make a snowball in seconds with this handy tool.
4. Toddler Boggan Sled by Paricon Sleds {View on Amazon}
This pulling-sled is ideal for young toddlers. With a high back and safety straps, your little one won’t miss out on outdoor winter fun!
5. Kids Snow Shovel by Suncast {View on Amazon}
This practical mini shovel is perfect for small hands.
6. Freestyle Mini Luge Snow Sled by Zipfy {View on Amazon}
This lightweight sled is easy for kids to carry up hills and is a favorite with reviewers who love its speed, its sleek look, and the fact that it can hold up to 250 pounds- meaning parents can get in on the fun!
7. Snow Ball Throwing Stick by SnoFling {View on Amazon}
Take your snowball fight to the next level with a SnoFling.
8. Snow Dino Kit by Wide Ideas Inc. {View on Amazon}
Tired of making your same old snowman? Update the classic snow sculpture with this adorable set! Wide Ideas Inc. also makes a snowman kit (level 1) and a snowbear kit (level 2).
This printable craft for kids is perfect for Valentine’s Day! Create a butterfly lollipop or pencil topper in 3 easy steps. Start by clicking below to enlarge, download and print the activity sheet. Then:
1) Cut out wings & fold in half
2) Cut two small notches on center fold
3) Insert lollipop or pencil!
*extra: add two 2 tiny antennae if you’d like!
Happy Birthday, Roberta Flack! The singer, songwriter, and musician turns 75 years old today (or 77 according to the Census- either way she looks fantastic!). Her version of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” popularized the 1957 song and helped Flack win the 1973 Grammy Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Watch her sing the song in 1972 in honor of her birthday!
These 4 maternity tops by Isabella Oliver are just as fashionable and flattering as they are functional- all four can be worn post-pregnancy!
1. Tie Front Maternity Shirt View on Isabella Oliver
2. Relaxed Jersey Maternity Shirt View on Isabella Oliver
3. Cap Scoop Maternity Top View on Isabella Oliver
4. Ruched Maternity Tank Top View on Isabella Oliver
(144 Bleecker Street, NYC click to enlarge)
left photo:
Mori’s Restaurant, 144 Bleecker Street, Manhattan
(November 21, 1935 by Berenice Abbott)
Carina on Bleecker, NYC
(January 17, 2014 by Katia Asthalter)
I created this printable Valentine’s Day card for your kids to color and design!
First, print page 1 of the “5 Things I Love About You” card. Then, flip the printed sheet over and print page 2 on the reverse side. A sturdy brochure paper is best, but regular printer paper works as well. Now color, cut, and fold!
Ask your children to think about 5 things they love about the person they are making the card for and encourage them to draw pictures to accompany each item! Kids can then personalize their card on the inside and flip over to draw a small self-portrait. For the envelope, print the template below. Fold in the sides first, then flip up the bottom flap and seal with glue or double-sided tape. I prefer using Scotch’s removable double sided tape. It’s less messy than glue and children can readjust the flaps if they don’t fold on the lines on their first try! To seal, use a sticker or a piece of double-sided tape. If using printer paper, make sure to use crayons or colored pencils instead of markers to avoid bleed-through.
Click the links below to print the card and envelope! Happy Crafting!
On January 27, 1970, John Lennon recorded “Instant Karma” at Abbey Road Studios in London. Fun fact about this song: “Instant Karma” was written, recorded, and released in a period of less than 10 days! It’s one of the fastest-released songs in music history! Lennon was quoted as saying that he “wrote it for breakfast, recorded it for lunch, and we’re putting it out for dinner” (source). This video is from February 11, 1970 on Top of the Pops. Can you believe this is only about two weeks after he wrote and recorded the song? Watch for Yoko Ono knitting blindfolded!
On January 26, 1988, The Phantom of the Opera opened on Broadway, two years after its West End debut. It is the longest running show in Broadway history! It’s been seen by over 130 million people and its worldwide gross is estimated at over $5.6 billon (source)! This video features three of the show’s songs- ”Think of Me”, “The Music of the Night”, and “The Phantom of the Opera”:
[Morning Commute, NYC click to enlarge]
photo credit: Carina Zimmerman
Musical spelling activities are the perfect way to make practicing note identification fun. This sheet is more challenging than my first musical spelling activity sheet so make sure to complete that one before trying Level 2!
Click here to enlarge, save, and print image!
Warm up with this C Major Scale Activity for Kids. For beginners, print the scale as a guide.
Today, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., I thought I’d share some of his most inspiring quotes. His words of wisdom are poignant, powerful, and timeless.
1. “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
2. “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
3. “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”
4. “The time is always right to do what is right.”
5. “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.”
6. “The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.”
7. “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”
8. “We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.”
9. “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
10. “Means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek.”
Janis Joplin was born on January 19, 1943 in Port Arthur, Texas. She would have turned 71 years old today! Janis was one of my favorite artists to listen to when I was a teenager. I had a giant poster of Janis sitting on her painted Porsche plastered on my bedroom wall amidst glow-in-the-dark stars and would pop in one of her CDs when I wanted something with more soul than The Smashing Pumpkins or No Doubt. Her raspy voice was absolutely unique and her performances were electrifying and captivating! Celebrate her birthday by watching and sharing a few videos of Janis working her magic on stage:
